Finally an Update

I haven't blogged in awhile. It's basketball season and between coaching & playing, riding colts, being a dad & husband, it leaves little time to sit and reflect on the days.

I had the coolest thing happen with the mustang. My daughter's best friend's family came over the other night for dinner. Brian and I were outside finishing up chores and I hadn't put the mustang up for the night yet. We were discussing how mustangs in general have a lot more flight in them than any domestic horse and that it takes a lot more work for them to gain your trust. Two seconds later as I stepped into the pen, the mustang began nickering in a low friendly style nicker. (Similar to two horses coming back together.) As I approached her with the halter, she continued to nicker. It was a pretty awesome moment because she had finally put her guard down and made the first move toward me. It was ironic that it happened moments after we had just discussed the trust topic.

I think we finally have a name thanks to Diana Clark and my wife, Kelsey: "Dynamite's Destiny." Kelsey mentioned Dynamite because she's athletic and had a little fire when I first got her. And Destiny because Diana commented, "She wasn't first in line for your 2009 horse, but maybe it was just destiny for her -- to be lucky enough to have you as her trainer & to have the chance to go to a really great home in her future. Also, she just might be some lucky person's "destiny." It's a name full of promise." Thanks, Diana!

I've trailered her over a different arena to ride on occassion. She's done really well and nothing that I do on her back seems to phase her. I can move my legs all over and touch her anywhere. I've had ropes touch her front and back legs while she's in motion and I got no excitement out of her. She loads in trailers just fine. I've trimmed her bridle path to make her look like a lady. I can pick up all her feet easily. My biggest hurdle will be overcoming people.

She turns, stops, backs, flexes, moves off the leg pretty well. She's starting to ride pretty collected and calm. From here on out we'll be working on shoulder and hind-quarter control.

Now that the ground is thawing out I think spring might be here. I don't care what that groundhog has to say. Actually, they are calling for some snow this week so I'm crossing my fingers. With the ground thawed out hopefully we'll progress a lot faster since she'll have a better footing. The competition is coming up faster than I know but hopefully we'll be prepared.